Enlightenment and American Revolution Study Guide

Why did the American Revolution succeed where others did not?

In October 1781, the war virtually came to an end when General Cornwallis was surrounded and forced to surrender the British position at Yorktown, Virginia. Two years later, the Treaty of Paris made it official: America was independent.

Who forced King John to sign the Magna Carta? What did they want from him?

King John met the barons on June 15, 1215 at Runnymede, a neutral site just west of London. Here the barons demanded that King John sign a document called the Magna Carta guaranteeing them certain rights.

How is Montesquieu's Enlightenment ideals seen in the American Constitution?

Montesquieu believed in the separation of power with checks and balances. Checks and balances are put in place to ensure that no one branch of government has too much power. Rousseau's ideas are present in the constitution by the concept of direct democracy. The people vote on their congressmen and president.

What type of government would montesquieu want?

Montesquieu concluded that the best form of government was one in which the legislative, executive, and judicial powers were separate and kept each other in check to prevent any branch from becoming too powerful. He believed that uniting these powers, as in the monarchy of Louis XIV, would lead to despotism.

What did Montesquieu write?

Persian Letters and The Spirit of the Laws

Declaration of Independence

Signed in 1776 by US revolutionaries; it declared the United States as a free state.

In what ways was the American Revolution considered unique for its times?

The American Revolution was a time when the British colonists in America rebelled against the rule of Great Britain. There were many battles fought and the colonies gained their freedom and became the independent country of the United States. The American Revolutionary War lasted from 1775 until 1783.

Thomas Hobbes, unlike John Locke, believed that people were selfish and ambitious and therefore needed to be ruled by what?

Thomas Hobbes believed that a government who had a power of a leviathan (sea monster) and a absolute monarchy, which could impose order and demand obedience. He believed in this type of government because the ruler needed total power to keep citizens under control.

Why is the Enlightenment considered a turning point in world history?

Turning Point - The Enlightenment. Another result of the Scientific Revolution was the Enlightenment. ... Then came the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment changed the way people lived as political and social scholars began to question the workings of society and government, while rejecting traditional ideas.Turning Point - The Enlightenment. Another result of the Scientific Revolution was the Enlightenment. ... Then came the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment changed the way people lived as political and social scholars began to question the workings of society and government, while rejecting traditional ideas.

Which idea is central to John Locke's Two Treatises of Government?

(1) A government's power comes from the consent of the people. (2) Predestination will determine who will go to heaven. (3) Famine, disease, and conflict are natural checks on population growth.

Which document is the best example of Montesquieu? What American Document most influenced the French Revolution? What philosopher was the biggest influence on the American Bill of Rights?

As can be seen in the texts, the French declaration was heavily influenced by the political philosophy of the Enlightenment and principles of human rights as was the U.S. Declaration of Independence which preceded it (4 July 177

Why was "No Taxation without Representation" an idea that the colonists believed was a violation of their rights as British Subjects? What gave them those rights?

History experts say the main reason the colonists were angry was because Britain had rejected the idea of "no taxation without representation." ... Yet all of them valued their local self-rule and their rights as British citizens. They considered the Stamp Act to be the worst in a series of violations of these rights.

Who is Montesquieu?

Influenced limited Constitutional monarchy. Influenced colonies to the balance of powers.

The First Amendment of the US Bill of Rights is an example of the ideals written about by what Enlightenment Philosopher?

Jefferson himself was inspired by the work of European Enlightenment philosophers such as John Locke and Cesare Beccaria. The language of the First Amendment was inspired by similar free speech protections written into various state constitutions.

Which philosopher most influenced Thomas Jefferson to write the Declaration of Independence? What is your evidence of the same?

John Locke His writings influenced Voltaire and Rousseau, but most importantly, the American revolutionaries. Thomas Jefferson used the thoughts first penned by John Locke while writing the Declaration of Independence.

Which Enlightenment philosopher was the biggest influence on the ideas of natural rights?

John Locke 29 August 1632 - 28 October 1704) was an English philosopher and physician, widely regarded as one of the most influential of Enlightenment thinkers and commonly known as the "Father of Liberalism".

What foundation documents are examples of the natural rights philosophy of life, liberty and property?

John Locke Life liberty and property

Which American Revolutionary document is the best example of Natural Rights? Who wrote that document? Who was responsible for the idea of natural rights?

John Locke: Natural Rights to Life, Liberty, and Property. Locke's writings did much to inspire the American Revolution.

Compare and Contrast the Magna Carta and English Bill of Rights. They each had the same objective, what was it?

Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights are both historically significant documents; while the Magna Carta was meant to serve as a peace treaty between upset barons and King John, the English Bill of Rights ensured that the monarchy within England didn't hold too much accumulated power, and thus gave more power to

Compare and Contrast the Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights.

Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights are both historically significant documents; while the Magna Carta was meant to serve as a peace treaty between upset barons and King John, the English Bill of Rights ensured that the monarchy within England didn't hold too much accumulated power, and thus gave more power to.

How did the Magna Carta contribute to the development of the English Government?

Magna Carta was issued in June 1215 and was the first document to put into writing the principle that the king and his government was not above the law. It sought to prevent the king from exploiting his power, and placed limits of royal authority by establishing law as a power in itself.

Describe the Separation of Powers.

Separation of powers, therefore, refers to the division of government responsibilities into distinct branches to limit any one branch from exercising the core functions of another. The intent is to prevent the concentration of power and provide for checks and balances

How did the Enlightenment influence the Revolution in America?

The Enlightenment ideas were the main influences for American Colonies to become their own nation. Some of the leaders of the American Revolution were influenced by Enlightenment ideas which are, freedom of speech, equality, freedom of press, and religious tolerance

What are some ways the Enlightenment influenced the American Revolution?

The Enlightenment ideas were the main influences for American Colonies to become their own nation. Some of the leaders of the American Revolution were influenced by Enlightenment ideas which are, freedom of speech, equality, freedom of press, and religious tolerance.

What are the spirit of laws?

The Spirit of the Laws is a treatise on political theory, as well as a pioneering work in comparative law, published in 1748 by Charles de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu

The US Bill of Rights was designed to serve which purpose?

The remaining ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791. They put limits on the national government's right to control specific civil liberties and rights, many of which were already protected by some of the state constitutions.

Which US founding document is the best example of Montesquieu?

The spirit of the laws

what was it like before the enlightenment?

the Enlightenment an 18th-century philosophical movement stressing the importance of reason and the critical reappraisal of existing ideas and social institutions.

despotism

the exercise of absolute power, especially in a cruel and oppressive way.

Locke and Rousseau believed the role of government should _______ the will of the people.

value